VHS Counseling October Newsletter

Information for all grade levels:

• Course Selection Timeline - ALL GRADE LEVELS
• PSAT for 10th & 11th Grades // Oct 25
• Freshman & Senior Summits // Oct 25
• ASVAB Career Exploration // Registration Open!
• AP Course and Exam Registration
• Austin Community College Dual Credit // Spring 2023
• College Fair Information

9th Grade:

• Freshman Course Selections and Counselor Conference
• 9th Grade PARENT/GUARDIAN Informational Webinar // October 27
  
• 9th Grade PSAT Registration Deadline // Jan 30
• Be sure to review Freshman Summit information!

10th Grade:

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme Webinar // UPDATE November 2
  
• Be sure to review PSAT information!

11th Grade:

• Junior College & Career Readiness Passport
  
• Be sure to review PSAT information!

12th Grade:

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) // Oct 1
• Be sure to review Senior Summit information!

IMPORTANT DATES IN ORDER:

Oct 1 // FAFSA OPENS

Oct 25 // PSAT, Freshman & Senior Summits

Oct 27 // 9th Grade Parent/Guardian Informational Webinar

Nov 2 // IB Informational Webinar

Jan 30 // Registration Deadline for 9th Grade PSAT

April 22 // 9th Grade PSAT (optional, registration required)

Planning for next school year has already begun! Please see below for the course selection timeline and associated activities for each grade level.

All 10th and 11th Grade students will take the PSAT exam in person on October 25th. There is no registration necessary for this exam. The PSAT will begin at 8:15 AM and end at approximately 12:30 PM. There is no make-up date, so please be sure to avoid scheduling conflicts!

All 10th and 11th grade students are strongly encouraged to take the PSAT as it prepares them for the SAT. The PSAT can also be used as a qualifier for ACC Dual Credit courses and allows juniors to compete for the National Merit Scholarship program. Read more about the advantages and importance of taking the PSAT here.

Freshmen will be taking part in Freshman Summit from 8:15 AM - 1:05 PM in Building 2. Activities will include:

• 4-Year Planning Counselors

• Introduction to Naviance and Course Selections (choosing next year's schedule!)

• High School 101 Panel & Goal Setting

• CPR training (state graduation requirement)

Specific rotation assignments and resources will be posted in the Class of 2026 Google Classroom as the date nears.

Seniors will participate in Senior Summit. Seniors will have late-arrival with activities beginning promptly at 9:00 AM. This day will focus on completing state-mandated graduation requirements including:

• FAFSA application
• CPR training
• Interactions with Peace Officer training

The schedule with full details and options, including a Pre-Registration link can be found on the Senior Summit information page.

It’s important that students come prepared with their laptops fully charged on this day. Upon conclusion of the Summits, all students will attend 2nd period followed by End of Day PIT (A4). Juniors & Seniors with 4th period Off Campus or ACC will be permitted to leave during the End of Day PIT unless they choose to sign up for a specific PIT meeting/tutorials.

The ASVAB Career Exploration Program is a FREE test available to interested 10th-12th grade students. The ASVAB program facilitates career planning and exploration, combining a multiple-aptitude test with an interest self-assessment and a wide range of career exploration tools. The test is open to any student who simply is wanting more career guidance, but is a requirement for students interested in pursuing military options. NOTE: LISD does not release scores to the military; students pursuing the military are responsible for sharing their scores.

The test will take place on Tuesday, November 29 (B-day) and will again be offered in the spring semester on Tuesday, March 7 (B-day). Testing will take place in the VHS Lecture Hall from 8:15 AM - 11:54 AM. REGISTER HERE.

AP Course Enrollment & Registration. Avoid a $40 late fee per course by completing AP Enrollment and Exam Registration before November 1, 2022. Students can log into their College Board account to make sure each AP Class on their schedule is listed in MyAP.

It's already time to start planning for Spring semester college courses through ACC:

• Returning Dual Credit students: registration is set to open October 17. Contact Mrs. Spradling if you wish to make changes to your spring course plans.
• New Dual Credit students: registration is set to open late October. Students must complete the Dual Credit Enrollment Steps, including meeting with Mrs. Spradling to discuss course plans.

Full details about the Dual Credit opportunities through Austin Community College can be found on our VHS College & Career Center website.

Selecting a college can be a daunting task and researching the best fit for students is just as important as researching degrees, campus life and cost. To assist with the process, it is recommended that students explore college options by attending a both in-person and virtual college fairs. Listed below are several options available to all students and families of Leander ISD.

Leander ISD In-Person College Fair

October 26 // 6p - 8p

Vista Ridge High School

TACRAO Virtual College Fair

Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO) is hosting a virtual college fair every Friday now through November 18. Registration required.

NACAC Virtual College Fair

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will hold several virtual college fairs this fall.

October 9, 2022 // 12:00pm to 5:00pm Registration Required

November 6, 2022 // 12:00pm to 5:00pm Registration Required

Counselors will be meeting with 9th grade students on October 25 during Freshman Summit to begin the course selection process for the 2022-23 school year.

Freshman/Counselor Conferences will take place between November 2 - November 7 during students' biology class period.

During Freshman/Counselor Conference, students will have a brief individual check-in with their counselor and will submit their initial course selections for next school year. We encourage parents and students to have conversations about course selection prior to the student's scheduled meeting time. More information will be sent specifically to 9th grade students/families as we approach these dates.

** While there will opportunities to update course requests, finalizing your requests as early as possible provides the highest likelihood of being placed in the classes you want.**

Parents/guardians are invited to attend an informational webinar on October 27 at 5:30pm.

We will cover information regarding graduation requirements, four-year planning and the course selection process.

The registration link for the webinar is found below.

Parents are encouraged to submit questions ahead of time so counselors can help tailor the presentation to address the most frequently asked questions. Submit questions using the button below.

Freshmen will have the opportunity to take the PSAT 8/9 on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Full details about this test offering, including registration link and planning tools can be found HERE.

Register freshmen for the PSAT 8/9 here // Deadline to register: January 30, 2023

An informational webinar for parents/guardians interested in learning more about the IB Program will be held on NOVEMBER 2 at 5:30pm (students are also welcome to attend the webinar). The registration link for the webinar is found below.

As current sophomores will be selecting their 2022-23 courses this month, it is critical that interested 10th grade parents/guardians attend this info session.

Interested 9th grade students/families are also welcome to attend this webinar!

Want to know what you or your junior should be doing to prepare for post-secondary options? Simple! Throughout the year, juniors should be working on the College & Career Readiness Passport Task List. This list outlines not only what juniors should be doing, but helps to remind you of what opportunities we offer regularly at Vandegrift, such as college visits and career chats!

Tasks will be added throughout the year as opportunities come available. What's more, is as an added incentive our PTSA is accumulating prizes for students! We'll conduct a drawing at the end of each grading period to reward students who have completed certain tasks - how cool is that?!?

We encourage seniors and their parents to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students applying for the 2023-2024 school year can begin filling out this application on October 1 to determine financial aid eligibility and often as a requirement for institutional merit-based scholarships. Each school will have its own priority deadline, however financial aid is first-come, first-served. Filing the FAFSA is relatively easy since it will be relying on 2021 income and tax information, allowing access to the IRS Data Retrieval that should automatically import your tax information. More information and resources can be found at StudentAid.gov.